Yarn winding apparatus



Dec- 13, 1960 A. J. HAMBACH ETAL 2,964,261

YARN WINDING APPARATUS- Filed Feb. 5, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 y FIG. 2 /NvE/vro/s August J.Homboch Jock Vcm Coneghem THA??? ATTORNEYS Dec. 13, 1960 A. J. HAMBAcH ETAL YARN WINDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1959 2 sheets-sheetV 2 'mmm FIG.4

by ,5M W

United States Patent O YARN WINDING APPARATUS August J. Hambach and Jack Van Caneghem, Westham, Va., assignors to Horace L. Smith, Jr., Inc., Richmond, Yah., a corporation of Virginia v 'Filed Feb. 5,1959, ser'. No. 791,397 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-'1S8.2)

This invention relates to apparatus for winding yarn on flanged spools or the like, and more particularly to precision apparatus for winding flat extruded plastic yarn which is to be wound so that the adjacent turns touch one another at their edges but do not overlap one another. The term yarn is used in a generic sense inasmuch as the apparatus is useful in winding natural or synthetic filaments or libers, as well as metal wire.

In winding liat extruded plastic yarn it is laid on the spool in successive layers and it is important not only to prevent the overlapping and to keep the successive helices in contact with one another, but :also to terminate each layer precisely at the spool flange and commence the next layer without either a surplus or a deficiency so that the successive layers will be level. Spools vary in length between flanges and the thickness of the flanges also varies, so that when a new spool is placed in the apparatus it is usually necessary to accommodate the yarn delivery thereto according to the requirements of the particular spool. Y

One of the important objects of our invention is to accomplish a quick and positive reversal of the yarn guide carriage at the end of each layer.

Another object of the invention is to effect such reversal without the use of electrical apparatus or complicated mechanical mechanism either of which has a tendency to require frequent servicing.

Another object of the invention is to provide for easy and quick -adjustment of the length of the traverse ofthe yarn guide according to lthe distance between the ylianges of the particular spool being wound.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the alignment of the traverse with the spool llanges.

i In accordance with our invention a mandrel supporting the spool on which the yarn is to be wound is dri-ven by means of a torque motor which is constructed to produce the desired torque, and whose inputV current is limited to a safe value when the motor is stalled and maximum torque is exerted, such a motor, moreover, having a substantially straight line speed-torque characteristic so that as torque demand increases with in? crease in the diameter of the yarn on the spool, the speed is automatically reduced in inverse ratio and constant tension is maintained on the yarn. j

In order to control the traverse of the yarn guide carriage, i.e. its path of travel parallel with the mandrel, a pair of screw members are arranged in parallel relation to the mandrel and to one another, and a half-nut member is mounted on the yarn guide carriagein such a way as. to be engageable alternately with either screw member to move the carriage in one direction or the other, depending upon which Vscrew member the halfnut. member engages. To shift the half-nut member from one. screw member to the other, and to hold it in "engagement therewith throughout the length of travel of the yarn guidecarriage, a control rail of suitable length is arranged adjacent and parallel to the screw members.

The half-nut member is mountedjon a support which 2,964,261 VPatented Dec. 13, A196i) r'ce is pivoted on the yarn guide carriage and this support is provided with a linger which projects into engagement with one side or the other of the control -rail thus holding the half-nut in engagement with one or the other of the screw members. When this linger slides ol the end of the control rail means are provided for shifting the linger to the opposite side of the rail and for holding the linger in that position until the edge of the linger has engaged the opposite'surface of -the control rail at the lcommencement of the Atravel of the carriage in the opposite direction;

This shifting movement of the finger at each end o'f the control'rail is advantageously brought about by means of permanent magnets disposed at the proper side of the rail in the region of the ends thereof. If desired, the shifting movement may be produced by means of a flat plate spring instead of a permanent magnet, such spring being arranged toengage the control linger as it approaches the end of the control rail, and a similar spring being arranged on the opposite side of the control rail at its opposite end.

In orderto provide adjustment of the point of reversal of the yarn guide carriage at each end of the traverse, the control rail is made in two separate sections mounted in lengthwise alignment with one another and' movable lengthwise relative to each other. For this purpose the two rail sections are provided with a suitable mounting arrangement which firmly supports the rail sections against lateral movement, but permits a longitudnalsliding movement thereof.

A rotatable rod having right and left screw-threaded sections thereon is arranged for rotation in the frame of the apparatus. Each of the rail control sections has a nut member in engagement with one of the threaded sections' of this rod, and a control handle for rotating the rod is arranged at a suitable location. By turning this handle the control rail sections can be moved lengthwise relative to each other so as to increase or decrease the distance between their opposite ends. This will increase or decrease the length of traverse, i.e. the length of the path of travel of the y-arn guide carriage, to correspond with the distance between the lianges of the particular spool.

Furthermore, the rod with the rightand left-threaded sections is arranged for lengthwise bodily shifting movement relative to the apparatus frame. This is accomplished by supporting one end of the rod in a bearing bushing which externally is in threaded engagement with an aperture in the frame. A second control handle is mounted on the bushing so that the bushing can be manually rotated and in so doing cause a lengthwise change in its position and in the position of the rod. This causes a bodily shifting movement of both control rail sections by'the same Iamount, thereby -adjusting the traverse to be coextensive with the spacing of the spool flanges.

The inventionwill be further understood from aconsideration of the accompanying drawings and the detailed description' following.- In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the apparatus -with parts broken away to show details; l

Fig. 2 is a view of "the apparatus shown in Fig. lin front elevation and also with vcertain parts broken away; f Fig.- 3i's a5v`iew in vertical section taken on line 3-.3 ofFi`g.2; H 4 A Fig. 4 is asomewha't diagrammatic and fragmentary plan -v'iew illustrating a modification; and; j -Fignre'S s-'a view in 4elevation of' the right-hand portion-ofvFig. 4. j Referring toV 'the accompanying drawings the apparatus includes a sub-base-l to which the base 2 of the winding mechanism is; secured by means of screws 3i al1 screws used in the assembly of the various parts being of the Allen head type. Sub-base 1 also in part supports the operating motor 4 as indicated in Fig. 3.

The winding mechanism is supported between two uprights 5 and 6 in the form of heavy steel plates which are welded'respectively to base member 2 at its opposite ends (Fig. 2). Supported between these uprights are two parallel guide rods 7 which are spaced apart from one another, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and serve as Xed supports on which the yarn guide carriage, indicated by reference numeral 8, is arranged to slide. This carriage supports the yarn guide pulley or sheave 9 which is rotatably mounted on the outer end of an arm 10 and serves to guide the yarn 11 onto the spool 12 which is to receive it.

Spool 12 is mounted on a mandrel 13 which is an extension of the shaft 14 of the motor 4. Spool 12 comprises a cylindrical body portion 15 having circular discs mounted one at each end thereof and forming anges 16. The apparatus winds the yarn 11 onto the body 15, carriage 8 being reciprocated along the guide rods 7 in a manner to be described to cause the traverse of the guide pulley 9 between anges 16.

The operating motor 4 is of the conventional torque type, that is to say, a polyphase induction motor of special design to withstand operation with its motor locked or stationary, and which also has la speed-torque curve which, for practical purposes, is a straight line. The torque motor automatically winds the yarn 11 at a predetermined speed and tension, a mechanical tension device being employed if desired. As the diameter of the coil of yarn buildsnp on the body 15 of the spool the motor automatically slows down thereby maintaining apconstant yarn speed and tension.

Returning now to the mechanism for causing the traverse of the yarn carriage 8, two similar screw members 17 and 18 consisting of metalrrods threaded throughout the greater portion of their length, are mounted for rotascrew member 17. Screw member 18 is rotated in the opposite direction by means otl two meshing gears 22 of like diameter and fixed respectively adjacent the right ends of the screw members.

The yarn guide carriage 8 comprises a body plate 23 having slide bearing blocks 24 supporting the same and secured thereto beneath its oppositenends by means of pairs of screws 25 and 26. Screws 25 also serve to hold arm 1t) in position. Bushings 27 are received in apertures in bearing blocks 24 and form slide bearings for the carriage on the respective supporting rods 7.

In order to propel the carriage 8 along the path of its traverse parallel with the axis of spool 12, means are provided on the carriage for engaging one or the other of the screw members 17 and 18 depending upon the direction of movement desired. To this end a boss 28 is secured by welding or otherwise to the lower surface of the mid-portion of carriage body 23. Half-nut member 29 is pivoted to boss 28 for lateral swinging movement between the two screw members'17 and 18, and has an arcuate threaded portion 30 which faces and is engageable with screw member 17 and a similar arcuate threaded portion 31 Vwhicheis engageablewith screw member 18. Two side plates 32 are secured to the opposite sides of the nut member by means of screws 33 and extend upwardly to engage a pivot -pin 34 supported by boss 28.

An oil cup 35 is placed between the-two side plates 32 and delivers oil to a short, vertical passage in the upper portion of half-nut member 29. Thispassage communicates with a horizontal passage 36 whichmay contain a wick and which carries the lubricant to both of the arcuate threaded portions 30 and 31. Fon the purpose of controllingthe engagement, of` the half-nut member 29 with one or the other of screw members 17 or 18, a at finger-like plate member 37 is arranged to project centrally beneath half-nut member 29. Member 37 is received in a slot 38 in member 29 and is held in position therein by means of a setscrew 39. Finger member 37 is arranged to extend into engagement with one side or the other of a sectional control rail comprising two equal-length sections 40 and 41. Advantageously these rail sections are each tapered in end view and the lower marginal portion of nger member 37 is also tapered so that the two members will have flat interengaging surfaces when the half-nut member is swung to engage one or the other of screw members 17 or 18.

It will be understood that in order to propel the yarn guide carriage in one direction, finger member 37 is caused to engage one side of rail sections -40 and 41 as the carriage travels along the path of traverse, and that when the carriage reaches the'end of the traverse iinger member 37 passes beyond the end of the control rail and is thereupon swung in the opposite direction so as to cause the half-nut member to engage the opposite screw member and commence the reverse traverse of the carriage.

To accomplish this swinging movement of the half-nut member 29 at each end of the traverse, advantageously a permanent magnet is utilized. A magnet 42 is mounted at the right-hand end, that is, adjacent the outer end of control rail section 40, and a magnet 43 at the opposite end of the traverse adjacent the left end of rail section 41. These magnets may be supported in any suitable manner. As shown each magnet is mounted at the upper end of an L-shaped support 44. Screw 45 secures the foot of the support to base member 2, while the upper portion of the support fits the space between the poles of the magnet and is provided with a threaded aperture to receive the inner end of a scr'ew 46. Advantageously, the half-nut member 29 is made of non-magnetic material','whereas the iinger member 37 is of magnetic material the magnets attractingthe finger and causing the half-nut member to be swung abruptly and with some considerable force at the instant the edge of the finger has passed the end of the control rail.

In order to lay the yarn, and, more particularly, the at ribbon-like extruded plastic yarn smoothly on the spool 12 and with such precision that the'turns of the yarn will touch one another without overlapping and without building up at each end of the spool, it is important not only to effect a precise reversal of the direction of traverse of the yarn guide carriage, but also to have this reversal take place at a precise point with respect to the spool flanges 16. Inasmuch as the thickness of these anges varies with different spools and the distance between flanges also varies, it is important to be able to make a quick adjustment of the length of the traverse whenever a new spool is placed upon mandrel 13. Furthermore, the distance between the anges of two successive spools may not, in some instances, vary appreciably, but a succeeding spool may accommodate itself on mandrel 13 at a different position lengthwise of the mandrel. This requires the shifting of the locale of the traverse lengthwise in one direction or the other so as to align the. path of the traverse with the flange-s, but without changing its length.

Mechanism is provided for quickly making either or bothof these adjustments, and this is the reason for making the control rail in the two sections 40, 41 instead of having a single, continuous rail. The mechanism about to4 be described provides for adjusting these two rail sections relatively to each other in order to increase or decrease the distance between the left-end of section 4l and the'right-end of section 40 in order to vary the length of the traverse. It also provides for bodily shifting both rail .sections without changing their relative end-wise adjustment.

,An elongated rod .47 is provided having an enlarged central portion, half of which has right-hand threads and the other half left-hand threads. The left end of this rod rotates in an aperture in upright 5, while the right end rotates in an externally threaded bushing 48. The rod passes through a smooth central bore in this bushing, and the external threads of the bushing are engaged in a threaded aperture in upright 6. An adjusting knob 49 is fixed to the end of rod 47, and an adjusting knob 50 fixed to the right end 'of threaded bushing 48. Knob 49 is positioned in close contact with the right end of knob 50, and a collar 5-1 is fixed to rod 47 in close engagement with the left end bushing 48 so that end play will be eliminated.

The control rail sections 40 and 41 are advantageously of T-cross section and secured to their web portions by welding or otherwise at the respective inner ends of the rail sections are two supporting blocks 52. These blocks have apertures threaded in opposite directions for engaging the oppositely threaded end portions 53 of the enlarged central section of rod 47. Thus, when the adjusting knob 49 is turned the two control rail sections 40 and 41 will be moved lengthwise either closer together or farther apart thereby changing the distance between the left end of section 41 and the right end section 40, and thus varying the length of the traverse of yarn carriage 8. Finger member 37 is made to have sufficient width to span the distance between the inner ends of rail sections 40 and 41 when adjusted for the maximum length of traverse.

When the second adjusting knob 50 is turned the rotation of threaded bushing 48 causes a bodily shifting movement of rod 47 lengthwise and shifts the position of the two control rail sections 40 and 41 lengthwise in one direction or the other without changing their relative positions and, consequently, without changing the length of the traverse. This enables the path of traverse to be shifted into alignment with the fianges 16 of the spool.

Inasmuch as the rail sections 40 and 41 exert someV little pressure on the side of finger 37, it is important that they be mounted to have adequate lateral support. This is obtained by means of two fixed guides 54 which are mounted to closely engage the sides of blocks 52 and also the sides of two other supporting blocks 55 which are arranged at the outer ends of the respective rail sections 40 and 41. Blocks 55 are not threaded, but have apertures closely fitting rod 47 so that this rod supports the two rail sections and the guides 54 closely engage the sides of the four blocks and thus the cooperation of these guides and of rod 47 preserve the alignment of the rail sections in all positions of adjustment. Guides 54 are secured in position by means of screws 56 which pass through the blocks and into threaded engagement with apertures in base 2.

If desired, instead of employing permanent magnets for causing the shifting movement of the finger 37 from one side to the other of control rails 40. 41, plate spring devices may be employed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A suitably stiff plate spring is clamped at its inner end to a supporting post 58 which is mounted at its lower end in base 2 in any convenient manner. As shown, the lower end of the post is screwed into an aperture in the base, and a lock nut 59 is used to tighten the post in position.

vPlate spring 57 is arranged so that its right end engages engagement of the opposite screw member 18 and shifts finger 37 to the opposite side of rail member 40.

As shown in Fig. 4 a second plate spring member 60 is arranged to engage the half-nut member 29 when it reaches the opposite end of the traverse and finger 37 app-roaches the end of rail section 41. It will be understood that the support for plate spring is similar to that described for plate spring 57.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for winding yarn on flanged spools having a rotatable mandrel for supporting and rotating a spool adapted to have yarn wound therearound in layers, driving means for rotating said mandrel, a yarn guide carriage supported for traversing movement parallel with said mandrel and adapted to travel back and forth along the length of said spool and guide the yarn in its approach thereto, a pair of screw members rotatable in response to mandrel rotation disposed parallel to one another and to said mandrel, a half-nut member alternately engageable with either screw member and operative upon such engagement to cause motion of the carriage, the screw members moving the half-nut member in opposite directions, the combination of mechanism for controlling the engagement of the said half-nut member with said screw members comprising a finger projecting from the half-nut member, a control rail for engaging said finger to hold said half-nut member in engagement with one or the other of said screw mem bers during the traversing movement of said carriage, and means for shifting said finger to the opposite side of said control rail at each end of the traversing movement comprising a magnet adjacent each end of said rail and disposed on opposite sides thereof, said magnet producing a field of magnetic flux embracing an area surrounding the adjacent rail end, said finger being attracted by said magnet and moving towards the same at the instant the edge of the finger passes the end of the rail.

2. Yarn winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the control rail is in two sections mounted for lengthwise movement, and means for simultaneously moving said rail sections in opposite directions to vary the effective length of said control rail, the outer ends of said control rail being disposed within the respective fields of said magnets.

3. Yarn winding apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the finger is a blade-like member constructed to span the distance separating the control rail sections at their inner ends at all adjustments of said sections.

4. Yarn winding apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein mechanism is also provided for simultaneously shifting said control rail sections lengthwise in the same direction so as to align the traverse of the yarn guide with the spool flanges, the outer ends of said control railk being dfsposed within the respective fields of said magnets at all adjustments of said rail sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,017 Garsed May 2, 1905 1,918,587 Bryant July 18, 1933 2,609,163 Cesa Sept 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 711,247 France June 23, 1931 

